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Poulenc's Concert Champêtre for Harpsichord (or Piano) and Orchestra was written in 1927–28 for the harpsichordist Wanda Landowska who said she "adored" playing it as it made her "insouciant and gay!" Landowska was responsible for the composition of several other new pieces of music for the instrument, notably Manuel de Falla's harpsichord concerto.
The piece is in three movements:
I. Allegro molto – Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Andante: Mouvement de Sicilienne
III. Finale: Presto très gai
The piece alludes to music of the Baroque period, when the harpsichord was a common instrument, both in terms of its melodic and harmonic language and in its structure. It is for this reason, as well as the plain influence of Stravinsky's music of the same period, that the Concert and its slightly later companion work, the Aubade for piano and orchestra, are regarded as neoclassical compositions.
- Difficulty:
- Intermediate/Advanced
- Instrumentation:
- 2FL2dPicc, 2Ob1dCA, 2Cl, 2Bsn, 4Hn, 2Tpt, Tbn, Tba, Timp, Perc(2), Solo Harpsichord, Strings
- Duration:
- 25 minutes
- Set of Parts:
- Includes Strings count 4.4.3.3.2
- Extra Strings:
- Only available with the purchase of the Set of Parts
- 2 Keyboards reduction:
- Available on request